We've never been fans of vinyl, although we did grudgingly use vinyl windows in our house. But vinyl shower curtains? Turns out they pollute the air in your bathroom.On the other hand, maybe we were hoodwinked.
This week, we're on a hunt for the best free or low-cost e-waste recycling resources across the country. Stephanie suggests biodegradable plates for your Fourth of July picnic, and we find a great video how-to guide for novice gardeners like us.
Below the jump, we're pondering whether crockpots actually save energy... and amidst all this serious green stuff, we think it's high time for a laugh.
In addition to vinyl off-gassing, one of the biggest offenders in the home is your mattress. There is a link between childhood asthma and exposure to formaldehyde (used in the manufacture of polyurethane foam- the base for Tempurpedic and Memory Foam ) Scott Jordan Furniture now carries a line of mattresses with no off-gassing and rated "Baby-Safe" by Oeko-Tex, an independent Swiss Consumer Products Testing Group.
view westchesteral's profile
Because of the off-gassing, we use a plain white cotton curtain. Technically, it is an outer curtain. We bought it at Target for $10. We have a decorative outer curtain as well. The two keep water off the floor, and when the cotton one gets a little moldy, we toss it in the laundry.
view plasticorange's profile
A few months ago, I bought a vinyl shower liner at Target, opened it, installed it, lived with it for 12 hours, then promptly returned it. It smelled exactly like fresh asphalt does when being laid on the road on a summer day. I couldn't believe it! I knew it couldn't be good for you.
view Michael W.'s profile
I'd like to avoid the whole vinyl curtain thing, but I'm having trouble finding good alternatives because I need an extra-long curtain in my high-ceilinged bathroom. Also, I worry about the water leakage in fabric curtains because I have fir floors in there. Does anyone have ideas/ resources they could suggest?
view yesesarebest's profile
Hellooo? Did anyone actually read the link about the shower curtain story? The part about it being debunked?
From ABCnews.com:
"The group tested a total of five shower curtains, of which only one shower curtain — not one brand; one curtain — was subjected to complete testing for chemicals in its composition, as well as those it released into the air — a phenomenon known as "off-gassing."
The study found the one curtain which was tested for off-gassing may have released, over the course of the first few hours after it was opened, chemicals that could be toxic if swallowed or inhaled only in quantities thousands of times greater than those found.
The study also included estimated results for some of the chemical amounts it reported, and most of the off-gassed chemicals found initially were not detectable after a few days."
view Molly Margarita's profile
I'm weird. I love that smell.
view clickchick's profile
@Molly--if AT readers wanted facts, they'd be reading Scientific American. Nice try, but your voice of rationality will be considered hate speech.
view Palmetto's profile
Odd how emotional some people can get about any story that involves the safety of a product - personally I'd need to see the evidence behind both the off-gassing and the debunking thereof before I get too involved.
Until then, common sense suggests that anything that smells is releasing particles that can be picked up by my olfactory nerves, and while this is undesirable, as I don't spend hours/day in the shower room I reckon it's an acceptable payoff for the function it serves.
view yeti3a's profile